posted April 11, 2008 at 12:18 in Triple Crown Articles

The best sportsbook horse bettors around are one step ahead of the flock and now is the time to try to isolate on runners that are just going through the motions at the current California meets waiting in the woods to cash when a new venue opens.

The Cushion Track at Santa Anita has never been the same deal as Hollywood Park especially since they added the polymer. Same thing is for sure in NoCal where action will shift from the conventional confines of Bay Meadows to the Tapeta in just a few weeks.

First let’s look at some Hollypark based runners runners or those that have shown an affinity for that surface and project them to run big early in the meet off poor Santa Anita form.

Trainer Paul Assinesi doesn’t saddle a ton of horses but he’s a pretty clever guy and this I know for a fact.

I was in a fantasy basketball league with him and several others years ago and he and his partner made some moves that would make Bill Belichick’s head spin.

Assinesi opted to scratch a colt named Mo’s Pocolino recently from a cheap seller at Anita and even if he runs good or bad in his next start, he must be watched at Hollypark.

Just last fall he almost paid for the entire Christmas as he was beaten a neck there at nearly 10-1.

He brings legit speed but is probably best if he can track suspect zip.

Another Anita runner to watch is Dixie Music Roll. This guy is far from a superstar, he’s barely able to beat $12.5K claimers but he can handle sprints and routes and moves up into the mid 70-Beyer range when they race in Inglewood.

Beau’sreign takes breakfast at a 25% barn, faced eventual winners in his first couple of starts this year but has shown the ability to step up and make it happen on the Tapeta.

The coming out party was a third at 24-1 at Golden Gate last fall right before the graduation party.

He deals with bottom rung types, but if he catches a field loaded with speed, double up.

Cagey horse bettors just may unload and bet with both hands when Bella Giada shows up at Golden Gate.

Her mentor is Bill McLean, who has been around the game forever but never pushes his runners. He had a bad meeting at Bay Meadows and that alone is reason to look for a rebound run when they go across the Bay Bridge to Albany.

The modest filly trained well there before the troubled debut. In her first race she walked out of the gate, finally settled, kicked with interest on the inside of the track.

The blood is there for her to have a useful career too. Out of a winning dam, she is kin three stakes runners and near $200K earner Flyaway Jack, who could do everything except handle grass.

Clever SoCal horse bettors will have an eye to the future in these final weeks at the current meetings and those that can envision a horse getting a much better trip when they move the tack will be able to jump on some big prices early in the meet.

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